1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for automatically linking index data with image data in a search system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a flowchart for illustrating a search method using an index data base in a conventional search system. As shown in FIG. 1, in step S1, a user enters first search data. For example, in a patent search system, the first search data includes a patent number, an international classification, applicant(s), a publication number, keywords and so on. In step S2, a first search is performed on the basis of the first search data which is entered in step S1. In step S3, an index list, such as index data, which is equivalent to an output of the first search which is performed in step S2, is displayed. In step S4, the user selects an item among the index list which is displayed in step S3. In step S5, first data which is equivalent to an item among the index list which is selected in step S4, is displayed. For example, in the patent search system, the first data is equivalent to summarized patent-relevant data. In step S6, the first data which is displayed in step S5, is stored on an external recording medium or is printed on a print medium.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for illustrating a search method using an image data base in a conventional search system. As shown in FIG. 2, in step S10, a user enters second search data. For example, in a patent search system, the second search data is a patent number, a publication number and so on. In step S20, a second search is performed on the basis of the second search data which is entered in step S10. In step S30, image data which is an output of the second search which is performed in step S20, is displayed. For example, in the patent search system, the image data is equivalent to the whole sentence of a patent gazette and drawings thereof. In step S40, the image data which is displayed in step S30, is stored on an external recording medium or is printed on an print medium.
In a patent search system which is an example of the above-described conventional search system, the summarized patent-relevant particulars are recorded on a first recording medium, e.g., a compact disc read only memory which has an index data base recorded thereon. The whole sentence of a patent gazette and drawings thereof are recorded on a second recording medium which has an image data base recorded thereon. Since the first and second recording media are respectively searched by search softwares which are different from each other, the two searches cannot be combined. Thus, since a user must conduct two separate searches when performing a patent search with the conventional patent search system, the user spends a lot of time conducting the patent search.
Also, in another conventional patent search system, the index data base, the image data base and link information data for linking the two data bases are recorded on a recording medium, e.g., compact disc read only memory. However, in this case, as the number of the recording media increases, a patent search such as an index search must be performed with respect to each of the recording media. Therefore, the user inevitably spends a lot of time conducting the search under a cumbersome search process.
The two above-described search systems cannot be used in a network system such as a local area network. Also, although the two search systems are so configured that they can be used in the network system through the medium of a separate software, the user must spend a lot of time searching with the search system which is linked to the network system.